Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
UP FRONT Wednesday 31 January 2018

Tarnished

Continued from Front even hundreds of millions
to one’s district or state for
I now have both for the “earmarked” pet projects.
rest of my life,” said former The earmarks were a pre-
House Agriculture Commit- rogative of the chairman,
tee Chairman Frank Lucas, both to bolster his political
R-Okla. “Right now you standing at home and to
have to deal with a situa- court votes with fellow law-
tion where you have the makers of either party.
extreme demands of the House GOP rules mean
left on one side of the room chairmen cycle through
and the extreme demands six-year terms, which also
of the right on the other counts time as ranking mi-
side.” nority member. Chairmen
Frelinghuysen is the eighth are selected by a leader-
House committee chair to ship panel that takes fac-
head for the exits, and a tors such as fundraising and
striking case study for the conservative litmus tests
dynamics at play. into consideration.
The New Jersey Republican Old-timers such as former
became chairman of the Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., left, walks with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Bob Goodlatte,
R-Va., as they arrive for a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators, Monday Jan. 22, 2018, on
Appropriations Committee say the system centralizes Day Three of the government shutdown on Capitol Hill in Washington.
last year after serving for legislative authority with Associated Press
several years as chairman party leaders, who are of-
of its defense subcommit- ten less versed in the nuts sen was first elected in the both chambers. He hails late 1700s. His father, Peter
tee. and bolts of legislation and 1994 GOP wave that put from a New Jersey political Frelinghuysen, served in the
But Frelinghuysen’s year in have little appreciation for Republicans in control of dynasty that dates to the House for two decades.q
charge of the panel has the committee’s bipartisan
been frustrating. In theory, traditions.
he manages the process “I often would laugh, ex-
of doling out one-third of press frustration together
the federal budget. But with Rosa DeLauro, who’s
he’s had scant success as liberal as she can be,”
on that front. Although he Kingston recalled of one
helped successfully negoti- of his Democratic coun-
ate a catchall spending bill terparts on Appropriations
last spring, the appropria- until he left Congress in
tions process for the ongo- 2015. “We said if leadership
ing budget year has been of both parties would get
hamstrung by delays in the heck out of the way,
the Senate and faces the we could get something
very real danger of running done.”
aground completely amid Other chairmen, such as
an unrelated months-long Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas,
battle over immigration. of Financial Services and
“I’m still working toward Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., of
making sure before I leave Judiciary are leaving after
office in December we get being forced to yield their
all that work done,” Frel- gavels next year under term
inghuysen said Tuesday limit rules. They were de-
morning. “And obviously, nied signature wins under
focusing on that makes it President Barack Obama
difficult to spend a lot of — but they have not man-
time campaigning back in aged such wins under
the district, so there’s a sort President Donald Trump, at
of a choice that I had to least so far. They’d rather
make.” leave Congress than return
“Serving as chairman of the to the rank and file.
Appropriations Committee Hensarling gave up a lead-
is a difficult and sometimes ership post in which he
thankless job,” said Rep. served in the shadow of
Nita Lowey of New York, former Speaker John Boeh-
the panel’s top Democrat. ner, R-Ohio, to grab his
There have been even chairmanship.
fewer thank-yous since “I feel a whole lot more in-
a series of GOP reforms dependent as House Finan-
changed the rules. In a cial Services chairman that
push to curb corruption in I ever felt as conference
2010, Republicans officially chair,” Hensarling said.
banned “earmarks,” sev- A moderate Republican
erally limiting lawmakers’ in both his politics and
capacity to direct tens or temperament, Frelinghuy-